The New Council
by the truth of night's song
Summary: There comes a time when each generation must replace their parents. This is the first time it has ever happened by means other than war. Even so, it's time for our favorite demigods to replace the Olympians as gods.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.**

The demigods walked up, and stood in a clump before the dying gods. All of them wondered how this could possibly have happened- and those who noticed it (Annabeth, Percy, Katie, and Chiron) wondered why Poseidon and Zeus' thrones had been switched. Chiron left the room.

Artemis moved first. She beckoned for Thalia to come forwards. Thalia did, and Artemis grasped her hands.

"Do you, Thalia Grace, accept the role and powers of the goddess of the moon, hunt, animals, and childbirth?" She asked. She was glowing silver, a smile on her face. She didn't look like she was dying at all. She looked more powerful than ever, actually.

"I-I do." Thalia said. Artemis smiled, and then disappeared into silvery wisps that I assumed was moonlight. Thalia winced, and fell to the ground. She felt as if she was on fire, as if a thousand knives were sticking into her. She collapsed on the floor.

They went up, one by one. Annabeth took the place of Athena, Hazel of Persephone, Katie of Demeter, Reyna of Hestia, Rachel of Hera, and Piper of Aphrodite. Travis took the place of Hermes, Will of Apollo, Frank of Ares, Leo of Hephaestus, Pollux of Dionysus, and Nico of Hades. All collapsed on the floor in pain.

All that was left was Jason, Zeus, Percy, and Poseidon. Jason nudged Percy, who was about to step forward, as Zeus would obviously want to go last. That way he could claim to be the strongest.

But, instead it was Zeus who stepped forwards, and gestured to Jason. Surprised, the Roman stepped forwards.

"Do you, Jason Grace, accept the role and powers of the god of the sky, wind, thunder, and lighting?" The god asked.

"I do." Jason answered. Zeus turned into wind to go… wherever they would be for the rest of eternity, and Jason fainted, screaming in agony like the rest.

Poseidon stepped forwards, and so did Percy. He wondered why Zeus had not said his full title. All the others did. Plus Zeus never missed an opportunity to remind everyone that he was king. Chiron had said that the powers would be directly transported from the parent to the child, so Jason would have become king.

Unless, Zeus had made Poseidon king before they came, which would mean…

"Do you, Perseus Jackson, accept the role and power of the god of water, seas, earthquakes, storms, horses, and sea creatures, as well as the role, powers, and responsibilities of being King of the Gods?" Poseidon asked his favorite son.

"I do." Percy said confidently. Then, instead of turning into water immediately, his father hugged him.

"Finally, you accept your destiny of becoming a god. I just wish I could see you doing your job. I will always love you Percy." He said.

"I love you too, dad." Percy said awkwardly. Poseidon smiled. Then he turned into water vapor. Then Percy felt pain. His body felt like it was on fire. This was ten times worse than when he bathed in the River Styx, but it was bearable. Percy didn't fall to the floor. No, he stayed standing, and braced himself against the pain. For him, it only lasted about 5 minutes before jut turning numb. After 3, Chiron came in.

Chiron hadn't expected to walk in on anyone who was standing- he had expected everyone to be passed out on the floor. He stood in shock, until Percy moved. When Percy turned around, he looked up at his old mentor, and walked towards him.

"Thank you, Chiron. For everything." He said.

Chiron bowed. "You're welcome, my lord." He said. Percy groaned.

"Please don't call me that! I don't like formalities. Or people acting like I'm their boss." He said. "Doesn't help that now I'm technically everyone's boss. He muttered.

"Ah, yes. I see you discovered your… extra title?"

"You knew they were going to make me king?"

Chiron's eyes twinkled. "I've been alive for a long time- long enough to gain the first Olympians' trust. There isn't much I don't know."

Percy sighed. "Zeus transported the whole 'king of the gods' powers into Poseidon, who gave his powers to me, making me the new king, and you knew? And didn't tell me? Typical."

"Well, you are a great hero, Percy. Even if you weren't made a god- which was bound to happen sooner or later- your name would be remembered forever."

"Ugh!" Percy groaned. Then his head snapped to the right. They heard Annabeth groan softly, and saw her rubbing her head.

Percy ran over to her, though Chiron stood back. He had a good idea of what was going to happen.

"Hey, you ok?" Percy asked Annabeth. She nodded.

"Why do you look upset?" Annabeth asked.

"Zeus made me the new king." Her boyfriend said. Then he grinned. "Although it wouldn't be that bad if you ruled beside me."

Annabeth grinned. "So the wedding's still on?"

Percy smiled. "My dear Annabeth, I didn't go through all that trouble to propose to you for no reason, did I? Especially when it happened not even a week ago."

Annabeth's smile grew wider. She hugged her fiancé. Then Chiron walked over.

-TIME SKIP-

**(It's been 6 hours since the gods faded. The others haven't woken up yet.)**

**Jason POV:**

"Ugh." I groaned, rubbing his head. "My head hurts."

"Mine too." Chorused everyone else in the room, massaging their heads and rubbing other sore body parts. All of us were moaning in pain. Then Chiron walked in, with a smiling Percy and Annabeth right behind him. When did they wake up? 

" Please go to your thrones." Chiron asked. I turned around to go to where my dad's throne was, but it wasn't there- Poseidon's- well, Percy's- throne was sitting in its place. And Athe- err, Annabeth's- throne was in the place of Hera's. What?

Percy tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed to the area where his father's throne used to sit. I saw the throne that was now mine, and walked up and climbed into it.

"Now, imagine yourselves big enough to sit in the thrones comfortably." He said. I imagined myself 60 feet tall. I felt myself growing taller, my limbs growing longer, and suddenly I was huge.

"Now" Chiron started. "This may come as a shock to you, but Jason is not the new king. For some reason- although keep in mind, this was not his fault- the gods saw fit to give that title to Percy. That's why the thrones are switched." He told us.

I was in shock. Why had Percy gotten the position and not me? We were supposed to take over our parent's positions- so I was supposed to be king. Why did they give it to Percy? What made him so much better than me? I glanced at Percy, who looked a little uncomfortable. I realized I was glaring at him. Wait- was I jealous? I shook my head, and focused on Chiron, who seemed really uncomfortable now. I wonder why.

PERCY POV:

Chiron was getting really nervous. I wonder why… oh, right! He was telling them about that law he told Annabeth and I earlier. This was gonna be good.

"Ok, the first thing you should know is that the romantic relationships of the past Olympians don't carry over to the new gods. So Jason is not married to Rachel, and Nico is not married to Hazel, and so on."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Good! Being married to my sister would have been really, really weird." Nico exclaimed. Hazel and Nico shuddered.

"Well, technically the ichor makes it so you two aren't really related, so…" Piper trailed off as the siblings glared at each other.

"But," Chiron continued, "The family relations do, in a sense. You are now related the way the past Olympians were- that is, closer than the demigods were, but separate enough that having intimate relationships won't be considered weird."

"What does that mean?" Leo called out. Everyone, including Annabeth, looked as confused as he was. 

"It means that technically Percy, Jason, and Nico are now brothers, and Katie, Rachel, and Reyna are their sisters. Also, ichor-wise, Frank and Annabeth are half-siblings, as well anyone who replaced someone fathered by Zeus. That means that Frank is technically the son of Jason and Rachel. But this is only through ichor- you have no more DNA, meaning that these don't affect you. You don't even have to really acknowledge this. It is only so the bloodlines don't get so spread out in time that it no longer has any ties to actual family. This way, children of, say, Nico and Jason, would be cousins the same way you two once were."

I blinked. "I'll just take your word for it." I muttered. The others agreed.

At this point, Chiron was really, really nervous. He took a deep breath, and spit it out. "Everyone of you except for Pollux have to get married by the end of the month." He said quickly.

For 3 seconds, there was complete silence. "WHAT?" Everyone screamed.

"Everyone but Pollux has to get married by the end of the month. Well, not exactly married, more like engaged." Chiron said, a little more confident this time.

"WHY?" They all screamed.

"To make up for the complete lack of romantic bonds this group now has. This wasn't my choice- the ancient laws demand it."

"Well what about maiden goddesses?" Thalia asked desperately.

"There were so many maiden goddesses last time, it unbalanced things. So everyone has to get married this time." The old centaur replied. Everyone was freaking out.

"Wait, why aren't you two freaking out? I know you two will eventually get married, but aren't you scared about it being so soon?" Jason asked Annabeth and I.

We exchanged looks. "Well… Percy proposed to me last week." Annabeth admitted.

The looks on their faces were priceless. Then we all heard a loud squeal.

"I just knew it would happen soon! Why didn't you tell me?" Piper demanded. We all stared at her. She blushed.

"Sorry. It's the Aphrodite in me." She responded.

"Anyway, any pacts made in the last era don't carry over. The next thing you need to know about is the Ancient Laws vs. the Council's Laws. The Ancient Laws stay the same for the rest of history. They were made by the fates long ago. The Council's Laws are those that you make and everyone has to follow, including yourself. These laws can be changed if voted so by the council, but you cannot do it often, and only on the winter or summer solstice." Chiron's eyes widened.

"Um… You need to have at least 2,560 rules. All need to be made by the end of the year. None can stay exactly the same, except for… the fact that every Olympian must be present for every meeting, and that if there isn't a god watching the camps… well, now just _the _camp, someone must check in once a month."

"WHAT! IT'S SEPTEMBER!" Everyone screamed. "How do we do this on time?"

"That's for you to figure out. There will be another meeting on Wednesday so you can start your jobs. I recommend that you start making the laws now. Here is a book of the past rules." Chiron said, tossing a book to me. "You have to tell the campers and hunters what happened, by the way." He walked out.

"Um, ok, we can do this." I said, looking in the book. The first 5 pages were a table of contents.

"There's a list of chapters on the first five pages!" I cried.

"Then we can start with the first one." Reyna suggested.

"It's… Behavior in the Mortal World." I read.

"Dude, that's so easy. No teleporting to where people can see you, and no using your true forms. Done!" Katie glared at him. "We aren't done yet, Leo." She said, annoyed. Leo slumped down in his throne.

"Alright, that's two laws. No teleporting, and no true forms. Vote?" I said. Everyone raised his or her hand. "Majority."

"I want to be able to live in the mortal world. Since we're gods, we can actually pretend to be normal." Rachel said.

"Ok, who wants to be able to go to school, and own a house in the mortal world?" I asked. Again, everyone raised his or her hand.

"I can show off my art." Rachel said.

"College." Annabeth said.

Will, Leo, Travis, and Pollux looked at each other. "PARTY!" They screamed. Everyone rolled his or her eyes.

"Ok. Majority."

"Next one. What about money?" Annabeth asked.

"What do you mean?" Reyna asked.

"Like, how much money can you have in the mortal world?" She asked.

"How about we can have enough money to live a little more comfortably than a rich mortal in that specific area. If you want anything fancier, you get a mortal job or ask the council and we vote on it." Jason suggested.

"Why more than a rich person?" Hazel asked.

"We're gods. I want to use that to do _something_ fun." Jason stated. Hazel rolled her eyes.

"Ok. Vote? Majority."

"How about we can't go to jail?" Travis said. "Like, we can steal and bend the mist so we don't get caught."

Everyone stared at him. "That's a terrible idea!" Piper, Rachel, Hazel, Reyna, Annabeth, and Katie shouted at him.

"Hey, I mean like stealing. Not like committing a murder!" He raised his hands, defending himself.

"No harming or doing anything extremely violent to mortals unless absolutely necessary or you get special permission." Will said.

"Good. Vote? Majority."

"How about, you can steal stuff, but you can only manipulate the mist to cover it up if it's absolutely mandatory?" Travis tried again.

"Oh, so you can steal a bunch of game counsels?" Katie asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"No." Travis retorted. "I mean, if there's some artifact we need to destroy or examine, and it's in a mortal museum or something. Or if they get information that might reveal our identities, and we need to destroy it."

The girls stared at him in amazement. "What?" Travis asked.

"You- you said something smart!" Lou exclaimed.

"Ha ha." Travis said sarcastically, annoyed.

"All in favor? Majority."

"What about mist manipulation?" Frank asked.

"How about, only in life/existence threatening situations. Like the titan war- we couldn't have anyone seeing that. But you can't use it to steal stuff, or buy something, unless the council decides otherwise." Piper put in.

"But then we can't ever go into the mortal world. Can't we use it to appear like humans and do other stuff like that?" Leo asked.

Piper groaned. "Fine."

"Good. Let's vote." All hands went in the air. "Majority."

"Can't acting natural be one? Like, you have to act like a mortal when in their world unless there are special circumstances?" Leo asked.

"Vote? Majority."

"Any other ones?" I asked them.

"What about Annabeth and Leo- and anyone else that creates something- can't share their inventions in the mortal world. Their devices would have much more advanced technology than anything in the mortal realm, and it would arouse suspicion." Rachel put in.

Annabeth looked thoughtful. "It's a good idea." She admitted. She put up her hand, as did everyone whose arms weren't already in the air.

"Ok. I think that's enough for now. Let's go explore." I said.

"Wait." Travis said. We all looked at him.

"I can't lose my brother. If there's any way-"

"You want to know if there's a way to make him immortal." I finished for him. He nodded.

"It doesn't have to be full immortality. It can be like the kind the hunters have. Just as long as I can see him, and he won't age." Travis said.

"It's a good idea. Maybe he can be you're assistant. Every time I saw Hermes, he was overwhelmed with all the work he had." I said.

"Oh no. I am not spending the rest of eternity with both of those idiots!" Katie said.

This lead to a very long debate about the topic- most of which consisted of people trying to convince Katie to let it happen. Eventually she gave up, throwing her hands up in the air and shouting, "Fine!"

I looked at the rest of the council. Most of them agreed to letting Conner be immortal (Katie very reluctantly)- mostly because they all knew that the two brothers were basically two halves of the same person, and that Travis would just go behind their backs if they didn't agree.

"Ok. Conner will become immortal. Now, does anyone have any idea how to do it?" Leo asked. We all shrugged, and looked at Annabeth. She pursed her lips.

"I'll have to go through my mother's library. I'm sure there will be something there. And Thalia, you should check your temple- it used to belong to Artemis, and she made all her hunters immortal, in a sense." The new goddess of wisdom said.

"Wait- is my palace PINK?" Piper screamed, rushing out of the room. We all looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, with that, meeting adjourned." I said. Everyone flashed out to go see his or her quarters, except for Annabeth and I. We got off our thrones and walked up to each other. Then we began to have a make-out session.

After a while, Annabeth pulled away. "Oh, Styx!" She muttered under her breath. I was confused.

"What?" I asked. My girlfriend looked me in the eye.

"We have to tell the campers and hunters." She said.

Styx.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter of my second story on fanfiction. Please R&R: I love criticism as much as compliments. **** Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

Piper, luckily, did not have a pink palace. It was lavender, which Piper was not happy about, but at least it wasn't pink.

On the door, Piper found a note. It said:

Dear Piper,

I changed the color for you. It's not a lot, but consider it one last gift. I didn't give you much when I was there, and this isn't anything big either, but it was all I could do with such little notice.

Aphrodite.

Piper's eyes got watery. To stop herself from getting any more upset, she walked into the palace.

It was very big. It had lots of pictures and statues of her mother, for which Piper was grateful. She wanted to remember Aphrodite for as long as she could, not push her to the back of her mind, never to be thought of again.

The walls were all purple, red, white, or pink (not all of it was gone), or had mirrors so big you couldn't see the wall. Many rooms had plush armchairs or couches. Eventually Piper found the bedroom. It had two white walls and two pink walls, with a big, red, heart-shaped bed in the middle of it. There was a bookshelf full of books, although most were romance novels, a flat-screen TV, with a bunch of movies sitting in a cabinet beside it. There was a computer sitting on a desk, with a poufy chair next to it. The floor held a few beanbags- all red and pink.

Piper flopped down on the bed. Her hand landed on the pillow and Piper heard a weird crumpling sound. She looked over to find her hand laying on a folded piece of paper.

She unfolded the paper. It was another note.

Dear Piper,

There are a few things you should know. One: There is no way I was replacing all of the pink. It is the color of love; get used to it. And yes, most of it is permanent for the next century or so. I wasn't going to take the chance that you would use your powers to get rid of it. And who knows? Maybe it will grow on you.

Two: The Olympians aren't the only ones who will be spending eternity elsewhere. Some of the minor gods tightly locked into the Olympians' immediate domains will soon join us as well. Eros and Hebe will be the first love/beauty gods leaving you. You need to find their replacements. May I suggest Mitchell and Lacy? I know you three get along well.

Three: Your sacred items and symbols. Your sacred animals are turtledoves, hares, the goose, and swans. Your sacred plants are anemones, the rose (usually red), the apple and its tree, daffodils, and myrtle. Your symbols are a dove, flower, and an apple. My chosen weapon was a set of throwing daggers, although I wasn't bad with a bow and arrow. They are on a shelf in the closet. You might need Leo to rework them to fit you and your magic. If you ever need to summon a chariot, it will be an extremely pale pink with gold accents pulled by big doves (don't summon it often- the chariot isn't in your domain so it takes a tremendous amount of energy to make it appear. I find it easier to borrow Hebe's chariot or call mine hours or even days before it is actually needed).

Four: Godly blessings are special; you can tailor it specifically to the person you bless. The standard issue blessing consists of attraction from the opposite or same gender (it depends on the recipient's sexuality), good fortune in your love life, and simply radiating beauty. You can just bless someone with attracting boys or having simple (not radiating full-power) beauty. Cursing someone can only be one thing. The curses are: unusual desires (incest, etc.) their lovers rejecting them, radiating repulsiveness, and ugliness. I find these cruel, so I rarely use them anymore (note: modern times, not the olden days).

Good luck, my daughter. Make me proud. I'll be watching.

Aphrodite.

Piper thought about it. Mitchell and Lacy did make sense. They were her favorite siblings, and were some of the only Aphrodite kids that had ever bothered to pick up a weapon. They took important things into account, instead of only caring about clothes and makeup (keyword- _only_). Piper made a mental note to contact them later.

Instead of worrying about that, Piper thought of how they all had to get married, and was thinking about who would get married to whom. What? She might have tried to hide it, and acknowledge it as least as possible, but she did have a sappy side. She was a daughter of the goddess of love and beauty. It was impossible not to have one. Besides, she would have to help some of the people get together.

'_Well, daughter of the former goddess of love and beauty'_ Piper mentally corrected herself. Wow, it felt weird to think that.

Percy and Annabeth were apparently already engaged, but that was to be expected. Pollux didn't have to get engaged, which was totally unfair. They all knew that Travis and Katie would get together, although they might need a little push. Frank and Hazel were dating and were actually pretty serious, so Frank would obviously propose. Although Nico would probably need to be restrained when the time came for that. He was very protective of his little (although technically older) sister. That left Rachel, Nico, Thalia, Jason, Reyna, Leo, Will, and herself.

Nico and Thalia would most likely get engaged. The two seemed to like each other, but it was so hard to tell because they both always appeared to have no emotions. And Thalia had been a hunter, therefore forbidden to date, and so they both probably ignored their feelings, knowing that they would never be allowed to date each other.

'_This has got to be the worse for her than the rest of us'_ Piper thought, mentally wincing. She might have some feelings for Nico, but Thalia had sworn off boys forever. To be told she had to get married by the end of the month, well, it was going to be hard on her. Rachel had also sworn off guys, but she had to have dated before she became the oracle, right?

Oh! As long as she was playing matchmaker, why not set up Lacy and Connor? They would be great together. And maybe Connor could bring out Lacy's playful side…

Back to the task at hand: marriage rule. Rachel and Will would probably end up together. They were both somewhat calm, and both formerly having ties to Apollo assured Piper they both had some things in common.

That left Leo, Jason, Reyna, and herself. Piper winced again, this time for herself. She knew Reyna had liked Jason in the past. If they got together, it would crush her. Piper sighed. She _really_ liked Jason, and thought he liked her, too. _'But what if they-'_ Piper thought. The goddess paled. It would be Hade- err, Nico. And she'd be stuck with Leo! Leo, of all people!

Piper shook her head. That wouldn't happen. Besides, when Chiron had announced the marriage law, she had seen Leo and Reyna quickly glance at each other, not noticing the other person, and then quickly look away. Piper had felt a pang of love come from both of them. They most likely liked each other, yet thought that the other didn't feel the same way.

'_Hmm… I'll need to help them out. I'll ask Annabeth, Jason, and Percy to help me. Annabeth and Reyna are so alike and are really good friends, Jason is one of Leo's best friends, and so is Percy- plus he rarely leaves Annabeth's side after the Tartarus incident…' _Piper thought. Her mind slipped away into the land of love.

-LINE BREAK-

Jason sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He was sitting on his bed, which was a lot like sitting on a cloud. The floor was like clouds, and when you sat on the bed, the floor changed, so you looked like you were floating in the sky. Fortunately for Jason, the floor was solid, so he didn't fall off Olympus when he saw the rest of the room.

A pile of lightning bolts- yes, lighting bolts- sat in the corner. There was a big screen TV, with a ton of action movies beside it. A bunch of Greek 'myth' books sat in the corner. Another part of the room held weapons. On the bedside table sat a pile of magazines with scantily dressed women. It was an… interesting room.

'_Wow my dad was weird.'_ Jason thought. He spotted a note on a pillow, so he sat down on the king-sized bed.

Jason-

The Olympians aren't the only ones who need replacing. A few of the minor wind, lighting, weather, or justice gods will fade as well. You will need to replace them over time. Some need to be replaced immediately, but most of them don't. Good luck with that.

Your sacred animal is the eagle, but most other birds will listen to your command if they aren't already loyal to another god. Your symbol is your lightning bolts. They are also my chosen weapon. If you use them in battle, use the sheath. When you use a bolt, the energy will regroup to reform the lightning bolt in it.

Your blessing will give someone slight power over wind and lightning. The recipient will have some strength in leadership. Cursing people can make them ridiculed, prone to getting struck with lightning, and getting struck down when they enter the air. It can do a lot of other things as well, but I'll let you figure them out. Good luck.

Zeus.

Jason glared at the note. Of course. His dad was not helpful at all. Ever.

Then he sighed. Jason, like everyone else, was thinking about the marriage issue.

He liked Piper, but what about Reyna? He didn't think he still had feelings for her, but what if he did? And what if Reyna still liked him? She could be hurt if he didn't choose her. But so would Piper…

Ugh. Girls are confusing.

-LINE BREAK-

Reyna walked to her palace, thinking about her dilemma. Yes Jason, no Jason. Did she like him anymore? Jason was- or used to be- the ideal Roman, a leader, one who follows orders, one that didn't break the rules. But he liked Piper. And something about him was different. Well, everything about him was different, but somehow it was all the same. Every since Juno picked him up and plopped him down in the Greek camp, it was like he had shown his true self instead of being the person everyone expected him to be. And while she admired him for it, Reyna realized she had been in love with the person Jason was trying to be instead of the real him. Yes, she no longer liked Jason. Maybe. Wow, she was turning into a Venus girl.

Reyna stopped when she reached her palace. It looked like the fire in the hearth. Like the flames in the fire, twirling around, the colors constantly changing tones of red, orange, yellow, and black.

It was very pretty, and the inside even more so. It reminded Reyna of those cabins you stay in when you go up to the mountains, not that she had ever been to them. It had a homey feeling to it, a warm aura that made you feel safe. Reyna sighed, and her thoughts turned back to her problem. Curse the gods for this! Wait, she was a god. Ugh! This was all so confusing. It was too much to take in at one time!

Reyna collapsed on her bed. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a plan. She didn't know what to make of the situation.

She spotted a note sitting on the table beside the bed and grabbed it.

Reyna,

I know that becoming a goddess of peace that rarely fights and is all about peacekeeping wouldn't be your first choice. But keep in mind that the one who holds the home together has the most important job of all.

There are some things you should know. While the goddess of the home rarely goes off into battle, you always need to know how to fight. You are the last defense Olympus has. This should suit your nature.

The 15 Olympians aren't the only ones to disappear- some minor gods will soon join us. You should have a few minor fire gods to replace, along with Leo. But other than that, there are no gods that share your domains. You may create some later, but they need to have very specific domains so that you don't loose any of yours. You also need to ask the council before doing anything.

Your blessing can make sure someone always has access to food and a warm place to spend the night. It can also give protection to a home in particular or to a specific person's home, give someone a gift in cooking, or summon a home-cooked meal for him or her.

Your sacred animal is swine. A flowering plant that is so old the name has been lost to human kind is your sacred plant. It only grows on Olympus. Your symbol is a staff that faded along with me because it was so outdated, old, and was completely useless in any hands but mine. Ask Leo for a new one.

Suddenly a beeping sound went off, making Reyna fall of the bed.

'_What is that?'_ She thought. Then she saw a screen on the wall.

Urgent council meeting! It read.

Reyna sighed, and made her way to the throne room again, to see her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend freaking out.

"Annabeth! Percy! What's wrong?" She asked, concerned for the girl that was more like a sister than a friend. By this time, everyone had arrived and was staring at them.

Annabeth grabbed Reyna by the shoulders and shook her.

"We have to tell the campers and hunters that their parents and mistress are dead, and that we're replacing them! That's what's wrong!" She said.

Then all Hade- err, Nico broke loose.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi! Here's chapter 3! Oh, and before I forget; last chapter I mentioned that some minor gods will need replacements. Please leave suggestions of who you want to become gods/goddesses. If you could tell me what they are the god of, which major god appointed them, or even whom they're replacing would be great. Also, next chapter is going to feature some of the gods doing their jobs. If you have any ideas for those, **_**please**_**, tell me them. Oh, one last thing, please send in your requests through reviews. I'm not good with technology- even this website gives me problems. **

**So… R&R! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

Percy's POV:

"WHAT!" Everyone screamed. "Why can't Chiron do that?" Leo shouted.

"He said we had to!" Annabeth moaned.

"When?" Reyna asked.

"Right after he gave us the past book of rules. We were all freaking out about the number of rules there were and the marriage issue!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"How are we supposed to tell them without getting laughed at, ripped into pieces, or thrown into Tartarus?' Hazel asked.

"I don't know!" Annabeth looked upset. Probably because she didn't know something.

"Quiet!" I called. Everyone shut up.

"Alright, everyone's at Camp Half-blood right now, correct?" I asked.

"Yes." Reyna said.

"Ok. So we'll tell them at camp so we have Chiron for backup." I said.

"That's a good plan." Rachel agreed.

"Ok. That's all I got. Anyone else got any ideas?" I asked. The girls face-palmed.

"We could go there, explain, then flash out, leaving all questions to Chiron. He never said he wouldn't answer questions. We don't have any information anyway." Nico suggested.

"That's a terrible idea." Piper said.

"Well, you got a better plan?" Nico shot back. No one spoke up.

"So, we flash in, say it, flash out?" Reyna asked.

"Pretty much." Frank said.

"Ok, let's go. Travis, grab Conner. I think I know how to make Connor immortal." Thalia said before whispering her plan to Annabeth. Travis nodded. We flashed to camp. Sort of.

Instead of being in front of all of the campers, we were about 80 feet above the ground. We fell the rest of the way. Luckily, we're immortal.

"AHHH!" We screamed. When we landed, there was a big dent in the earth. Everyone was staring at us.

"What just happened? And where have you guys been?" Connor asked. He was standing at the edge of our little crater.

"Umm, well, the Olympians apparently do have an allotted time to rule. It's just really long. The gods just… disappeared, and we're their replacements. All questions need to go to Chiron." I said really quickly. Everyone looked stunned. Travis reached out and grabbed Conner. We all flashed out before everyone could yell "WHAT!"

Fortunately, we didn't end up 80 feet above the throne room. The new recruit looked really scared.

"What's going on?" Connor asked. He was freaked out.

"We're making you Travis' immortal assistant. That is, if you accept." Rachel said.

Connor grinned. "Hades yeah!"

"That's Nico, my dear brother. He is Hades' replacement." Travis corrected. We all groaned.

"Okay, let's just do it. Annabeth?" Hazel asked.

"Ok, what's going to happen is…." Annabeth launched into a complex explanation, Thalia inserting information in at random times. We all stared at them.

"Um… can we just get this over with?" Pollux asked.

"Ok, ok, fine. Travis, say, 'Do you, Connor Stoll, accept the blessing of Travis, god of messengers, travelers, and thieves?" Annabeth ordered. Travis repeated the words.

"Conner, say, 'I do'" Connor did so. "This makes me sound like I'm getting married." He mumbled under his breath.

"Travis, say 'I accept your decision. You are now my champion." Travis did, then he and Connor collapsed on the floor.

"Umm… are you sure that was right?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Annabeth said, now uncertain.

The brothers rolled over and groaned. Connor now had a faint brown glow around him.

"Did it work?" They asked.

Annabeth nodded. "I think so."

"Good. Now, why are you immortal?" Connor asked.

"Well, the Olympian gods died, and as their kids, we had to take their place. Hermes could only pick one of you, and Travis is older." Rachel said.

"But what about you, Hazel, and Reyna? Enyo- sorry, Bellona- isn't an Olympian, and you're not a demigod. Hades has Nico as a replacement and Persephone doesn't have any kids." Connor asked her.

"Hestia, Persephone, and Hera don't have any demigod kids. I'm Hera's replacement, Hazel is Persephone's, and Reyna is Hestia's." The former oracle replied.

"Dude, you are so lucky that you're not one of us." Nico groaned.

"Why?" Connor asked.

"We have to get married!" Travis spat.

It was silent for a minute. Then Connor and Pollux burst out laughing.

"Your faces! Priceless!" We laughed. The rest glared at us.

"Wait, why are you laughing?" Conner asked Pollux.

"Because I don't have to get married." He responded. "I don't know why- I wasn't paying attention when Chiron was telling us what to do. I just remember everyone but Annabeth and Percy freaking out."

"Why weren't you freaking out?" He turned to the couple.

Annabeth answered him. "Because we were already engaged."

"Huh. I'm actually surprised that didn't happen sooner." Connor admitted. The others murmured their agreement. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Hey, where am I going to sleep?" Connor asked.

"Uh… Travis' palace?" Piper suggested.

"Dude, you have a palace! Sweet!" Connor looked at his brother in admiration.

"Yes, yes I do. Let's go check it out!" Travis said. He pulled his brother up, and dragged him off in a random direction. A few seconds later he came back.

"Um, Annie? Where's my palace?" He asked Annabeth. She _had_ designed this place.

"Go straight, turn right, another right, go straight again, and then left. You'll see it." She told him. "And DON'T CALL ME ANNIE!" Travis gulped and nodded. Then he walked off again, his brother in tow.

CONNOR POV: 

"Seriously? You didn't know the way to your own house?" I asked my brother.

"Hey! I was busy researching how to make you immortal. I didn't find anything, but at least I was trying." Travis protested.

By then, we had reached our new home. It didn't look like much, just an average house, but bigger. The inside, though, was something to remember.

The first thing you saw was the big armchairs, and couches. A few beanbag chairs sat on the floor. There was a mini fridge in the corner, and there was a big table in the middle of the room. Then you saw the electronics.

There was a huge flat-screen TV on the wall hooked up to every game counsel you could think of. The cabinet besides it held every video game and movie to ever exist. There were laptops sitting on the chairs. There were some books as well, but when you looked at the titles, you could see they weren't your everyday books. They were books on stealth, how to eavesdrop properly, how to lie, and how to steal without getting caught.

Travis walked over to 2 doors on the right side of the room. The doors both had names on them. One said 'Travis', and the other read 'Connor'. How strange.

There was a note on the wall in between the doors. Travis picked it up.

"What does it say?" I asked impatiently.

"To my sons. When I found out that I was going to fade, I added another room. I knew I would pick one of you to replace me- you two are my favorite children, besides your brother Chris. And I believe that Chris and Clarisse are the recommended replacements of Phobos and Deimos or something like that. I only chose Travis because he's older. And before you get mad at me for separating you, I knew you would find away to make your brother immortal, Travis. You always have a plan up your sleeve. I miss you both, Hermes. P.S., Piper is going to have to find replacements for Eros and Hebe, with will probably be Mitchell and Lacy. Pull a prank on them for me." Travis read. He looked up.

"Aw. Dad did care," we said, putting a hand over our hearts. Then we laughed. We sat down on the couch.

Travis looked like he was trying to hide it, but I could tell he was nervous and upset.

"Travis, what's wrong?" I asked my brother. He looked up at me.

"I'm worried about the marriage thing." He said.

I threw my hands in the air. "Well who wouldn't be?" I said.

"Percy and Annabeth." Travis said simply.

"Well, they've been through so much together. And to be honest, I thought it would happen sooner." I told him. Travis sighed.

"Oh. You're not worried about getting married. You're worried about asking Katie, aren't you?" I guessed. He nodded.

"I really like her, and I'm afraid someone else will get her before me if I don't ask her soon. Plus she hates me." Travis said, putting his head in his hands.

"She doesn't hate you. Now, stop being so gloomy." I told him.

Travis put his head in his hands. Then he shot up like he had remembered something. "You have to get married to, you know." Travis smirked.

"No I don't." I responded. "Chiron didn't say I had to."

"But as long as Piper's in matchmaker-mode, she's gonna pair you with someone. Obviously." Travis pointed out. I realized he was right. I groaned.

"Ugh. You know what, let's do something else. We need to put this stuff to work. Here, let's look at this." I said, grabbing a book off the table.

"The best pranks I've ever pulled. By Hermes. Travis, this is dad's work! We have got to read this!" I exclaimed. Travis perked up a little.

"Well? Start reading!" He said, rubbing his hands together mischievously. I gladly complied.

We spent the rest of the night looking through the book.

-LINE BREAK-

Leo walked to his new palace, thinking about Reyna. _'She's so beautiful. I wish I could tell her that. And how I feel about her. But what is she doesn't feel the same way? I know she used to like Jason- what if she still does?'_ He sighed.

He now stood in front of his palace, which was a bright orange-red color with hints of brown, black, and gray. Leo walked up the steps, and opened the door. Inside were rooms with tables, chairs, and other things. Most didn't look used.

One room held a bunch of statues and paintings of his father. The room looked like it hadn't been opened in decades, if not centuries. He would have to get someone to help him move the items so they could be seen.

Wandering through the rooms, Leo noticed most of them didn't look used. Only the bedroom and library (a small room with bookshelves filling three of the walls and an armchair in the center of the room) seemed to have had anyone in it in the last year. Then Leo came across a door that had a staircase behind it, not a bunch of untouched stuff.

Leo walked down the stairs cautiously. He didn't want to be caught off-guard. But he was anyway- just not in the way he expected. Instead of being assaulted by something that wanted to eat him, Leo was met by a huge, and I mean HUGE, room full of tools, metals, and machinery.

"This place is AWESOME!" he shouted, running around the room to check stuff out.

One side of the room was dedicated to making things, and the other part for blue prints and plans. On the first half, there were tables with machines on them- some finished, some that still needed work-, a section that held different tools, a wall with boxes stuck on it that held screws, nails, and all of that stuff.

On the other side, there was a wall covered with shelves. The shelves were filled to the brim with blueprints. Directly to the right there was a desk, also covered in blueprints, rulers, and other stuff.

Leo turned around, and saw another wall lined with shelves. But these ones were empty. There was a desk besides it, but it was also empty, except for a small piece of paper.

'Leo-

You may be wondering why this desk and some shelves are empty. The desk is there because while you could just use my old one, it might take a while to clean up. So, I put in this one. The shelves are there because you'll want somewhere to put your own blueprints, as those shelves would take a while to clean out as well. Help yourself to any of the blueprints- use them as you wish. You can finish any of the machines if you want, too. You should know that even if I didn't show it very well, I love my kids. Would you pass the message on to your siblings?

Your father,

Hephaestus.'

Leo sighed, and ran a hand trough his hair. Then he put the note down, and got to work. He went over, and looked at a blueprint sitting on the top of the pile on his father's desk. He gasped when he saw it.

His father had been working on a way to make a new and improved Festus.

Leo immediately got to work.

-LINE BREAK-

Nico already knew what his palace was like in the Underworld, seeing as he had lived there most of the time, so he decided to look at the one Annabeth had made his father when he became an Olympian. This one was (obviously) on Olympus.

He walked to his new home, which, to no surprise, was black. He walked through the (black) hallways, ignoring all the (black) rooms, until he came to the bedroom.

There was a (black) couch in the corner. The (black) bed had (black) covers with the faint outline of a (black) skull on it. The (black) desk sat in the corner. Nico started to pace on the (black) carpet, staring at the, you guessed it, (gray) walls.

He was thinking about a matter that many others were thinking about. The marriage law.

What were their parents thinking? Making them get- shudder- married. Why? Did they think they wouldn't have a problem getting down on one knee and asking someone to spend the next few millennia making out with them? News flash- THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY! WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT! Well, Annabeth and Percy didn't, but they've been through more things together in the past 6 years then all the mortals in New York will go through in their life times. Nico was actually surprised Percy hadn't gotten down on one knee and asked 'the question' sooner.

Nico went back to pacing. He didn't even like anyone.

Well, there was one person. But they'd never date. Ever.

'_But she has to get married too.'_ The little voice in the back of his mind said.

That was true. She did have to get married. Hmm…

Nico was freaking out, for one reason. He was worried the person he loved would hate him if he told her he loved her.

That person was Thalia Grace.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had some trouble writing this chapter, then I went on vacation and didn't have Wi-Fi, and then I had more writers' block. This isn't my best work- like I said, I had some trouble- and is therefore very short, so keep that in mind. This is mainly just a filler chapter. In one or two chapters the new Olympians will be doing their jobs. If there are any specific things you want them to do/struggle with, please tell me it. Remember to send in suggestions for minor gods (including their domains would be nice).**

**Someone also asked me (in their words) WHAT THE NICO HAPPENED TO JASPER? I'll be honest, I don't really know. I started writing this a long time ago, back around the time The Son of Neptune came out. I just joined fanfiction a few weeks ago, so I just picked up the story from where I left off and published the chapters. For the sake of this fanfiction (and to create drama), Jason and Piper have had feelings for each other for a while now, although Jason's are all mixed up and he can't really figure them out because he's a boy and therefore messed up. They were dating but broke up soon after they started the Argo 2 because Jason was confused about said feelings for Piper vs. Unknown Roman Girl (Reyna) due to his very fuzzy memories. He didn't want to hurt anyone so he broke up with Piper. The two never got back together due to the raging war and here we are. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

**Remember: Reviews make me update faster- especially if they're contributing ideas! Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.**

Two days after the group had… um… borrowed (fine! Kidnapped) Connor, all of us were gathered in the throne room, kneeling around a piece of paper. A few of them had dressed in either camouflage or all black- although in Thalia and Nico's case, it was just their everyday clothing. The Stoll brothers and Leo had even gone as far as to put on eye black, making them look like miniature football players on a stakeout. All in all, they looked rather ridiculous.

"Ok, here's the plan. Mitchell and Lacy will likely be in the Aphrodite cabin-" Connor pointed to a square on the map they had quickly drawn up "-or at the lake. If we go at night right before the harpies make their rounds or super early in the morning before everyone wakes up, they'll probably be in one of the training areas. We sho-"

"Why would an Aphrodite kid be at the training ground?" Thalia interrupted. Piper glared at her. "Sorry Piper, but most of your siblings only interests are clothes and makeup."

Piper sighed. "It's fine. You're right. But Lacy and Mitchell are actually good at fighting. They've been practicing in secret since before I arrived- they were just to scared of Drew to do it out in the open. I guess you can't break the old habits"

"Drew can't tell them what to do to stay alive. Why would she stop them from training?" Thalia asked.

"Well really she was only stopping Lacy, but that was because 'it's not proper'" Piper replied, making air-quotes as she spoke.

"That's ridiculous."

"Tell that to Drew." Piper waved her hand, making a book appear out of thin air. "She wrote a book."

Hazel picked up the book. "_Drew's Guide to Being the Perfect Aphrodite Son or Daughter_? Ok, that's… a lengthy title." Being Hazel, she still struggled to find something nice (or in this case, less insulting) about the item.

"Or controlling." Leo suggested.

"Or just downright weird." Rachel stated.

Piper grinned. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter. We had a bonfire and burned every copy. This one was in Aphrodite's library. She has every book on love or beauty or makeup/fashion plus anything that mentions her name ever written. This one checks all the boxes. The book was tossed in the corner under a pile of glittery scraps of paper."

Connor glared at the girl. "Now that we've established the level of insanity the late love goddess' children are on, can we _please_ get back to the task at hand?" Before anyone could answer, Travis continued. "As we were saying, we should go at night, since there will be less of a chance of anyone seeing us- especially if we get lucky and the targets are training instead of sleeping. Piper will go with Connor and a few other people- try to get some of the less skilled people, I think we'll need the others for our more, uh, _weaponized_ targets- to grab them and transport them back here."

"If we are going at night then Clarisse will be asleep. Even if she's at her most vulnerable point, she's still going to be the hardest one to get. Frank, Percy, Annabeth, Reyna, and Nico-"

"Why am I not on that list?" Thalia demanded.

"Because we don't know how good Lacy and Mitchell are and if they're practicing we might need someone who can actually fight to get them! Stop interrupting! The before mentioned people will-"

Connor cut off only to be replaced by his brother "-go to get Clarisse. We're going to need the best fighters." He shuddered. "The remainder of you will be coming with me. You get the task of waking our dear brother. He'll be asleep, most likely, unless we catch him on a night when he's making a raid or setting up for a prank with our siblings. Watch out for that last one- on multiple occasions the unfortunate person to walk in on their planning becomes the one immediately covered with any and all materials involved." The two grinned, loving their plan.

Frank looked uncomfortable. "Wouldn't it be easier to just ask them if they want immortality?"

The Stolls looked at him. "Yes, but where's the fun in that?" They asked simultaneously. "Let's see… girls not before mentioned, with Piper. Boys, with me." Travis added. Connor glared at him. He shrugged. Then they both cried, "Move out!"

Everyone snapped their fingers. The first group did the sensible thing; enter the Ares cabin while avoiding all of the defense mechanisms by using magic, step into the Ares cabin, carefully walk up to Clarisse so she didn't wake up and stab him with the spear she clutched in her arms, and teleport back to Olympus with her. Unfortunately, they went back without Percy, who then proceeded to accidentally set off an alarm which awoke all of the cabin's inhabitants. Luckily for Percy they were all still groggy with sleep, making it easier to use the water molecules in the air to disappear. If he had used his true form to go back, he would have disintegrated them.

Piper had better luck, although admittedly not by much. When she entered the first training ground- the archery range- an arrow sailed past her head, narrowly missing her. A knife came after the arrow. Piper looked up, seeing the knife quivering from the force it had been hurled at the target with. She looked back down just in time to find another arrow had been embedded in the target just an inch from her face. Another knife followed it, this time splitting the arrow in half. She shrieked.

"Sorry!" Someone called. Two people began to run towards the cabins. Hazel flicked her hand. A bunch of thick vines began to grow out or the ground, blocking their path. When Piper squinted, she could see that the flowers on the vines weren't actually flowers, but gemstones.

"I've had a lot of time to work on my powers." Hazel responded to everyone's stares.

The two figures turned back around to look for another exit, and finding none, turned to size up their possible opponents. "Thalia?" A voice unmistakably belonging to Lacy asked, seeing the previous hunter first.

"Hi." Thalia held her hand up in greeting. "And it's not just me." She gestured to her companions, somehow creating a beam of light. The light revealed the rest of the group perfectly. Thalia scowled down at her hand.

"What the Nico?" She shook her hand, which just made beams of light shine everywhere like a disco ball. "Are you kidding me?"

"Piper?" Lacy asked, shielding her eyes with her hand. "Piper, is that you?"

"Yes." Piper called. "It's me. Come over here."

"Are you really a goddess now?" She asked excitedly. "Does that mean you have powers now? And does that mean…" Her voice turned sad. "Mom's dead?" After another pause, she continued to rapidly ask questions.

"Ignore her." Mitchell grabbed his sister's elbow and dragged her along at a quicker pace. "Why are you here?"

Before anyone could respond with something reasonable, Connor shouted, "Explanations will come later. To Olympus! Maia!" He punched straight up in the air in that dramatic way people do in movies before they try to do something really extravagant. He grabbed Lacy's arm and flew up into the air so fast the pair looked more like a blur than actual shape. The only evidence of them left was Lacy's screams.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Come on." She grabbed Mitchell's arm. "Close your eyes if you don't want to be a pile of ashes." They disappeared. The others followed in suit.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took me a while to update. I'm still having writer's block. This chapter is a continuation of the last one. I cut it in half because I couldn't find a way to end it and I thought it was time to update.**

Thanks to zoenightshadedamsnckbar for the great idea. It's an awesome thought. Your idea will be featured in a few chapters.

**Remember to R&R! I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus.**

When they got to Olympus, they found a still sound-asleep Clarisse- that was still clutching her spear like her life depended on it, might I add- and Will and Pollux covered in purple goo. The doors to the throne room opened and Connor dragged in Lacy. Lacy's shirt was torn and her hair resembled a tangled lion's mane. She half stumbled over to the rest of the girls.

"What is going on?" She asked breathlessly. "And why are Pollux and Will covered in goop?"

Leo laughed. "When you interrupt Hermes' children in the middle of a prank, you become the next victim."

"Let's get this over with people. I'm tired!" Rachel groaned. "But first…" She pulled out her phone and took a picture. Everyone stared at her. "What? You guys might not have been allowed to touch cell phones, but I was a mortal- with a rich father I might add- until a few days ago. I've had this forever."

"Ok. But first… who's going to wake up Clarisse?" Percy asked. Everyone turned to the unconscious girl.

"I vote Chris." Will said.

"Why me?"

"She's your girlfriend!"

"So? I'm not indestructible!" The son of Hermes cried.

"Good point. Percy should do it."

"Not happening- she hates me the most, I'll die!"

Thalia raised her hand. "Travis and Connor should do it. This was their plan." She shoved the two boys towards the sleeping girl.

Who apparently wasn't sleeping anymore. She opened her eyes to Connor and Travis standing over her. Clarisse grabbed them and began to stick her spear seemed to appear out of nowhere through Travis' chest.

"Where in Hades am I?" She growled.

"Well, technically it's Nico…" Travis stuttered weakly. Will rushed over to pull out the spear.

"Ok, as we said two days ago, the Olympians are gone. The minor gods are disappearing slowly alongside them. They need replacements. Would you like to be them?" Rachel asked.

"Minor gods of what?" Clarisse asked.

"Chris as the new Deimos or Phobos, Clarisse replacing Enyo, Lacy replacing Hebe, and Mitchell as the new Eros." Frank listed.

"Cool!" Lacy shrieked.

"Hmm… Clarisse, goddess of devastation, destruction, and war… I like it." Clarisse nodded.

"Sounds cool." Chris said. Mitchell nodded.

"Great! So now Hebe, Deimos, Eros, and Enyo need to transfer their title to you guys to make you immortal." Katie said. Some people jumped; she had been so quiet that they had forgotten she was there.

Annabeth pulled out a book. "If the gods you're replacing haven't faded yet then you'll go through a power transition. If they already have, then you'll have to go through an actual ceremony. This one will different than Connor's because he's a champion and not a full god."

"What does that mean?" Connor asked.

"It means that you're like Thalia's hunters- you are a sort of representative of Travis' domain. The difference is you're more durable than the hunters- you could get stabbed through the heart and you'd be mostly fine. Plus, like the gods, you can't help demigods in all of their everyday battles. You also have more control over your patron's domains than the hunters do, but that's partially because you're a son of Hermes." Annabeth explained.

"And what does that have to do with this?"

Annabeth glared at him. "Connor, you might be more durable than before, but I can still break you. If you value your life, shut up. Percy," Annabeth turned to her fiancé. "You need to summon Deimos, Eros, Hebe, and Enyo. They have to show up if the king summons them, so the ones that don't show up have already disappeared and we need to do the other ceremony. Alright?"

"Ok, um… give me a minute." Percy closed his eyes and flicked his wrist. Four people appeared.

"Hey, what gives-" Deimos was cut off by Enyo pulling him down into a kneeling position and Hebe making a 'shut up' gesture. All four were glowing in the same way the Olympians were right before they disappeared, meaning they were all extremely close to fading. Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand and dragged him up the steps to their thrones. With a wave of her hand everyone followed her lead; apparently they were going to do things 'properly'. Connor walked in a circle like an idiot until Travis dragged him off to stand near the foot of his throne.

"My Lord." Hebe said. She seemed to know what the 'proper' way to treat her superiors was. Also known as the way the previous gods would insist they be treated and if you don't do it exactly you get blasted with a lightning bolt.

Percy opened his mouth to correct her when Annabeth nudged him. "Hebe is set in her ways of respect. You'd be disrespecting her ways more than she'd be disrespecting you if she didn't obey. She'll be gone in a few moments; let her do as she has for centuries one last time," she whispered into his ear, placing her lips against his cheek.

Percy nodded. "Er, hi. We've found your replacements." He gestured to the four people left standing at the side of the room. "Oh, right, you guys can get up by the way." He shifted in his chair. Some people do better under pressure; Percy was obviously not one of them.

Hebe smiled as she stood up. "You're just in time."

"What?"

"I think it's best if you see for yourself, my Lord." Hebe nodded towards the entranceway. "My king, if I may, who is my replacement?"

"Right, right…" Percy winced. He wasn't doing well. At all. The others' reactions- slumping down in their seats, holding their heads in their hands, rolling their eyes and groaning, or looking just plain off- annihilated any doubts he had about this. "Lacy?"

Lacy finished fixing her hair. She smoothed out the skirt of her lace dress- how had she been training in that thing? - and skipped to the center of the room. She quickly bowed to Hebe. Without anything left to do, she bounced in place with her hands clasped behind her back.

Hebe's smile turned to one of warmth. She reached out and gently wrapped her hands around Lacy's upper arms. Hebe slid them downwards until she was grasping the girl's hands in her own. "What's your full name, darling?"

Lacy looked up at the goddess with her big, brown- gold- hazel- no, green- doe eyes. "My name is Lacy Valentine."

Hebe's golden eyes glimmered. "Do you, Lacy Valentine, accept the role and power of the goddess of youth, forgiveness, and immortality?"

"Yes." Lacy breathed. Hebe kissed her forehead.

"Good luck my darling." She held out her hands. A book materialized in them. She handed it to Lacy. Then she glowed with pink light. A few seconds later she began turning into floating wisps of pink water.

Lacy shone brightly before passing out, the book still clutched in her arms.

The three remaining minor gods were beginning to glow dangerously bright. Enyo rushed forwards. "Do you, Clarisse la Rue, accept the role and powers of the goddess of war and bringer of devastation and destruction through battle?"

A rare smile lit Clarisse's face. "Of course! Wait, how do you…" A red light overtook the warrior before she collapsed on the floor. Enyo turned into blood.

Deimos had been shaking in place. At this, he ran forwards and snatched the closest boy's- that luckily happened to be Chris- hands and demanded, "Name?"

"Chris Rodriguez."

"Chris Rodriguez, do you accept the role and power of the god of terror? Of course you do, here." He shoved a bloody knife the boy's way and fell into shadows.

Eros had gone to Mitchell and transformed him at the same time as Chris. This was discovered when everyone looked around to see the thirteen year old rolling around on the floor.

The remaining fifteen ex-demigods stood around them in a circle. Travis stepped up and kicked Clarisse lightly.

"It took us hours for us to transform. What do we do in the meantime?"

Katie shrugged. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to go grow something. See ya!"

She left the room. One by one the others followed her. Just as the last person- Frank- left the room, the four woke up. Apparently it took less time for the new minor gods to have their DNA destroyed and their blood changed to ichor. This was unfortunate for the new immortals, considering when they woke up they were met with a completely empty version of a usually bustling city.

That's right. All of Olympus was completely empty.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello guys! First off, thank you to everyone who has taken their time to read/review/enjoy this story! You guys are awesome! Second, I'd like to thank isamags2 for bringing some extraordinarily important information to my attention. It may not seem like it, but I really am grateful. Alright, confession time: I have not had a chance to read **_**The House of Hades**_**. I was going to when it first came out… but then my stupid brother half-spoiled a bunch of random things for me. I can usually deal with spoilers- I read all of the mortal instruments knowing pretty much every major event that would happen and I still **_**loved**_** the books- but when people tell me half of a bunch of tiny/of medium importance events and leave me with a bunch of annoying cliffhangers… I get annoyed and avoid the problem until I can forget it. Then schoolwork was piled on me (and actually still is- stupid summer homework), so I just haven't gotten around to reading it. I know very little about the whole Leo and Calypso thing- plus I just don't like her. I did know a bit about Nico being gay, but I've found that despite supporting gay rights I completely suck at writing it. Only if it is: a) a super major point and b) mentioned a lot and c) I had read the scenes in the book would I be able to figure out how to write it. So for the purpose of this fanfiction and my limited writing skills, Nico will not be gay in this story.**

**I also started writing this more around the time **_**The Son of Neptune**_** came out. I wasn't a part of this website then so I never posted it, but I am posting and continuing it now. Even so, I'm very sorry for any confusion. Now for the rest of the clarifications: I stupidly forgot about the Roman camp. To make up for it- well, you'll see eventually. As for the Roman demigods becoming Greek- the Greek/Roman Olympians are essentially the same person, so the Roman gods are gone too. I see the Greek gods as the main ones, so I tend to stick to their names. New minor gods other than the ones already mentioned will only appear if you guys recommend people. And to conclude this exceptionally long A/N: I don't own PJO. R&R!**

Four brand new minor gods stood directly outside of the most significant room in possibly the most important- and usually extremely crowded- city. No one was there.

"So… what now?" Chris asked his companions. His thumbs were hooked in the pockets of his jeans. He rocked back and forth on his heels.

The others just stared. Mitchell was the first to snap out of his stupor. "No idea." He had always been more like an Athena child than one of Aphrodite. He had been the only person not in the Athena or Hephaestus cabin that had worked on the Argo 2. Mitchell had probably seen the designs for the town at one time or another.

"It's never been this quiet before. Aren't there usually street venders and gods rushing around and playing music and, well, just having a good time?" Lacy asked. She was the youngest of everyone in the group, so despite being raised at Camp Half-blood until she was ten she had only been to Olympus twice. And one of those times was during the 2nd Titan war.

Even so, she was right. For the first time ever, the home of the gods was completely silent.

"Where is everyone?" She continued. Lacy's voice echoed off the walls.

Clarisse clutched her electric spear close, the point grazing her thigh; Chris had never understood how she could do that without getting zapped. She gazed down at the girl gently. Lacy reminded Clarisse of Silena- their eyes were often the same shade of blue, although Lacy's had recently gained more of a kaleidoscope effect. They, like every child of Aphrodite, had the ability to manipulate their basic appearance- eye and hair color, etc., but they always had a special knack for it. Lacy's hair fell down in the same waves as her older sister's and was usually pulled up in the same style as her sister had once worn. All in all, they looked- and acted- very similar.

"I don't know. But when I find out, I'm going to kill Prissy for leaving us all here to rot. He may be a major god but he's not getting any special treatment from me, even if he is the king." There was the Clarisse everyone knows and fears!

"How do you know he's our new king?" Chris asked.

"He was sitting where Zeus used to sit but in his father's old chair." She stated. They lapsed back into silence.

"Let's go that way. I sense love, and only living things can emit that." Mitchell said, pointing off to the right. He walked off without waiting for a response. Lacy scampered after her brother. Chris put his free hand- the one that wasn't clutching the bloody knife- around his girlfriend's waist. They took a slightly slower pace than the two in front of them.

Clarisse leaned against her boyfriend. "You know, I'm ecstatic about this."

"Really?" Chris asked her. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would love living for eternity as a god. Watching other people snag the spotlight without being allowed to scare them under your control doesn't seem like you."

She smiled and laughed. "Yeah, well, it does help that I can still scare people with what status I'll have as one of the first new minor gods of our generation. But I'm glad because I'll have a place. When you turn eighteen, it's time to leave camp. By then you are completely isolated from the mortal world. We just stick out, if we're still alive. For the gods' sake, most of the demigods with godly mothers don't even have birth certificates. Me, I'd die out there. We don't have a city like the Romans do. Sure, Chiron's probably going to help build one now, but this way I know I'll always be somewhere I belong. I got lucky- I don't have to survive the mortal world. I found a place."

Chris opened his mouth to respond, but Clarisse looked up and wiped any and all signs of tenderness off her face. They must have found the others.

They were standing in a big garden-like area surrounded by a number of buildings that resembled bigger versions of the camp cabins. The garden was full of marble benches strategically placed among flower beds and bushes. Fifteen people were sitting on benches placed at the center of the space around a fire that Reyna was tending to with her bare hands. Chris and Clarisse's companions were standing in front of them.

Lacy had her arms crossed over her chest and was glaring up at Piper. Being only twelve didn't help her, and neither did the wings that had suddenly sprouted out of her companion's back. Everyone including the owner was staring at them with wide eyes. Yes, the wings were so big he could see them when he bent them forwards. It was quite a sight to see. But Clarisse's spear sticking out of the wall an inch from Percy's head quickly drew attention away.

"Would someone like to explain why you all decided to leave us alone with no idea what to do or where to go? We couldn't even ask anyone for directions because Olympus is like a barren ghost town. Which reminds me- what in Hades did you do to everyone in the city? It's completely empty!" Clarisse demanded. It was obvious this wasn't something that outraged her, just made her a little angry, but Clarisse had a reputation to uphold. Plus her domains demanded battle.

"Okay, one," Leo took the lead again. Based on what had happened to Travis, this probably wasn't the best idea. "It's Nico, not Hades. Seriously guys, get it right."

Nico threw his hands up in the air. "Really guys? Just because my father's nickname was turned into the Greek/Roman version of using 'hell' as a curse word- which he did NOT like, by the way- doesn't mean you have to use my name as it!"

Leo turned around. "Considering you are literally your father now, we kind of do." Nico groaned and glared at everyone. He was already morphing into his father- Nico hadn't actually glowered at everything in sight before becoming immortal nearly as much as he was now.

Leo continued, "And two, in our defense, it took us hours to become gods. Well, most of us."

"What do you mean 'most of you'?" Lacy asked.

"For some reason it took Percy and Annabeth a few minutes. Connor isn't actually a god. He's Travis' partially immortal assistant or something." Pollux interjected.

"He's Travis' champion." Annabeth said exhaustedly, as if she was tired of explaining it. "See-"

"Nobody cares!" Most people shouted. Annabeth scowled. She perked up a few seconds later.

"Nobody doesn't really care either." Percy whispered softly. Annabeth hit him. Most looked on in confusion, but Clarisse chuckled and grinned. The grin was quickly replaced by anger- again.

"You mean to tell me that despite having no idea when we would wake up aside from it probably being 'in a few hours', you left us completely alone with no idea of what to do or where to go?" She gazed at them accusingly.

"Wait. You mean the entire city is empty?" Will asked. He jumped up and began climbing a few of the statues to get a better vantage point. "This must be what Hebe meant."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked the son of her former patron.

Will ran his hand through his hair. "When the original six gods took over, it was just them and a few titans that had sided with them. A few of those titans were 'reformed' into gods. They started out with just them but eventually created a whole society. They created women, animals, anything that hadn't been made by Chaos. Luckily we didn't have to start from scratch, but this world will still be empty."

"Will the other demigods disappear too? The mortals?" Reyna looked up at Will. HE shook his head.

"I don't think so- the gods didn't disappear when the titans did. It just means that anyone else we make into a god will be assigned old domains instead of taking over shared ones. They will have no connection to their previous owner. For instance, all of us except for Connor have been inserted into the old family tree. Technically Jason is now my father as well as Apollo in some abstract way. Lacy is my half-sister instead of Piper's of Mitchell's. In a way, I _am_ Apollo. Anyone else that is made a minor god won't take over those connections- their parents and siblings will all stay the same as they once were." He explained.

"How did you get that when I didn't?" Annabeth asked him.

Will sent her a sour look from his point high above her head. "Children of Athena aren't the only smart people in the world, Annabeth. If they were she wouldn't be a major god as her domains wouldn't be important." He jumped off the statue.

"I think we should all get some rest. Tomorrow we get the details of what our jobs require." He turned around and began to walk towards a pale yellow mansion that still seemed to emit an eerie glow. It was one of the only buildings that had been toned down to the deity's personal preference instead of his not-actually-dead-predecessor.

"Wait." Clarisse called as everyone started to leave. "Where do we go?"

Annabeth pursed her lips. "If I recall correctly, the immediate attendants of the gods slept in their palaces, so Eros with Aphrodite and Enyo and Deimos with Ares. Hebe had a small house over in the more central part of the city, but Lacy could just sleep in a room in Piper's palace for tonight since I don't know exactly where it is and I don't think anyone wants to be alone in a silent city. I'll figure out the details tomorrow. We may be immortal but we still need sleep." She turned around and walked back to an ocean blue structure with Percy on her heels.

Piper grabbed her siblings' hands and took them to a pink mansion. Frank gestured for Chris and Clarisse to follow him and both were too drained to protest. Becoming immortal was draining physically and mentally, and all the couple wanted was sleep. Within five minutes they were out cold.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys! Sorry it took me so long to update- some stuff came up and I couldn't get to a computer. But I'm here now! I hope you enjoy the chapter- hopefully the next one will come sooner. R&R!**

I don't own PJO or HOO.

The next day the new Olympians had finally gotten used to the fact that they were gods. Today what little they had gotten used to was all about to change. Instead of goofing off and using their powers for fun, their jobs officially started.

That day they were all called to a council meeting that even the minor gods had to attend. So they were all sitting in the Throne Room, the minor gods on chairs just as odd-looking as the thrones, when Chiron came in.

He was in his wheelchair. Chiron came in glaring at his past students. "Thanks to you, I actually have to use this. I can't get out of it for 2 months. And kidnapping Connor, Clarisse, Chris, Mitchell, and Lacy was not helpful either."

They gods looked down. "Sorry Chiron." Hazel hung her head, ashamed. A chorus of 'sorry' followed this.

"Thank you for apologizing. Anyway, I have the lists of what your jobs cover. You will have to do everything on the list everyday." Chiron said.

"Wait- jobs?" Jason, Frank, and Mitchell were the only boys who didn't at least roll their eyes in annoyance.

Chiron nodded. He passed out the lists.

"Chiron, do we really have to start today? I'm still getting used to being a god." Leo said. "I've caused about five explosions and three fires a day so far because I'm not used to having this much control over metal. I don't think I'm ready for actual responsibilities."

"And most of us don't have our items of power yet," Rachel said.

"How do you not have your items of power?" Chiron asked.

"Some of them disintegrated when their owners did," Pollux put in. He smirked. Rachel sent him a disciplining look. "And what little remains wasn't their official item of power. We need to have our own made to our own tastes. Plus the weapons our parent left us need to be updated to their new owner's standards so it officially changes hands."

Chiron nodded. "You can do your work without you items of power, but it will be more difficult," He sighed. "I'll make you a deal. Since you probably don't have to start until Friday, you don't have to do anything until then. But Leo doesn't have to start making your sacred items until then either. When you start your jobs you'll just have to make due with other items left to you by your parents. You also have to use these next few days for your other duties."

Some people sighed. "Deal," They all responded. Chiron bid them goodbye and then wheeled himself out of the room.

"Does he mean the wedding thing?" Leo asked.

"Most likely," Will answered.

"Hey…" Annabeth said. She had that look on her face that she got when she was thinking or trying to remember something. "Did we forget to do something?"

Frank and Jason tilted their heads to the side in confusion, but Reyna gasped. Everyone turned to face her. She was completely still, her hand over her mouth.

"You're right," She whispered. "We never did."

Annabeth understood what they hadn't done as soon as she saw Reyna's face. "Well then let's go now," She stood up.

"What are you guys talking about?" Frank asked.

Hazel sat up abruptly. "They mean we never told the Romans that all four of their praetors/ex-praetors and another one of their soldiers are replacing their parents as the rulers of Earth." She explained.

"Oh." Frank said casually. Then his mind registered what that meant. "OH!"

"Yeah, we're dead." Percy decided. He stood and walked towards Annabeth.

"Ugh. Great. With you gone, Reyna, Octavian will most likely become Praetor. He'll probably declare war on us for destroying the gods and the Greeks for assisting us." Hazel said.

"Hey, weren't the Romans talking about joining Camp Half-Blood? Jason asked as he got up.

Katie nodded. "Yeah. I was at the meeting with Annabeth and Chiron about that. You guys need to learn how to be… more skillful and less bloodthirsty."

Jason ignored the insult. "So why don't we suggest that? That way Chiron gets control of the bloodthirsty warriors instead of Octavian." He sent a look at Katie. Maybe he hadn't completely ignored the comment.

Leo threw his hands up in the air. "Dude, why suggest it? You can force it! Frank and Reyna are still technically Praetors-"

"Until they find out we're immortal," Reyna muttered. "And they still think Jason is their praetor."

"- And Percy is the king of the world! Just force them to do it! Think about it; you either have Octavian possibly declaring war or Chiron getting more students and all of the Greek/Roman world contained so your resources aren't spread too thin. Plus Octavian can't send a bunch of Romans searching for nonexistent… what were they called? Sibylline Books? It's the perfect situation!" Leo justified.

Percy looked at Leo like he was out of his mind-, which he technically was. "I don't really want to order everyone around like a tyrant."

"And I don't think that that will stop Octavian from looking for the Sibylline Books." Reyna said thoughtfully.

"Stop shooting down my points with logic!" Leo whined. Then his expression morphed into his 'I-have-an-awesome-idea face that usually made something explode. "Camp Half-Blood has the oracle. The prophecies were never written in the books until after the oracle said them. He would have no way of justifying that," He pointed out.

Reyna got a puzzled look on her face. "But we've had those scraps of paper forever and your oracle only said the prophecy a year ago."

"When was the first time you could read all of that prophecy clearly? With no missing pieces or not being able to translate the whole thing?" He asked.

Reyna lowered her head. "About a year ago."

Leo threw up his hands. "My point is made!"

"I still don't want to order people around," Percy put in.

"You're going to have to at some point," Travis clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Well, see ya." He turned around and began to walk out of the room. Lacy, Clarisse, Chris, Mitchell, Connor, Will, Pollux, Rachel, Thalia, Nico, and Katie followed him.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Frank called.

Travis spun around to face them, one hand on the doorframe. "This doesn't concern us. We fought with the Romans in battle once. We don't know how they work or have any connections to us. Ergo, we are not coming." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled. Travis groaned and looked at her over his shoulder. "Nico, get over here. This might not concern them, but it concerns you."

"But they hate me!" he whined.

"You left me in that camp to face them alone with on memory. Consider this your punishment." Percy interjected bluntly.

"To be fair, I knew you could probably destroy them all no problem if you needed to." Nico responded.

"You still left me alone with no memory and refused to tell me who I was. Get over here."

"But I-"

"Nico, NOW!" The king and queen demanded. Nico knew he was already pushing it and a mad Percy or Annabeth was never something you wanted to be on the receiving end of. Then put them together. The possible- no, probable- pain wasn't something anyone wanted to even think about. Nico joined them.

Leo began to back out of the room. "Hey, I think I'm going to sit this one out. Last time I was at the Roman camp, I blew it up."

"I thought you were possessed?" Connor said.

"That doesn't mean I made a good impression." Leo said. Then he bolted out the door.

"LEO!" Annabeth yelled after him.

"Let him go." Reyna said. Everyone stared at her. "What? He was right; he really didn't make the best impression. It might cause tension and do more harm than good. He will have to make it up sometimes though- but I think I know how." She teleported after that, presumably to the Roman camp.

The others followed in suit. Anyone left in the throne room exited the building within a matter of seconds.

"Um, Katie?" Travis asked. He played with his fingers; it was times like this when he could be just as ADHD as Leo- and that was saying something.

Katie looked around suspiciously, but calmed a little as she realized everyone capable of pulling a prank on her was in her line of sight- except, of course, for Leo, but he had seemed too uptight to do anything of the sort at the moment. Even so, she looked at the troublemaker with caution.

"Yes?"

Travis wrung his hands. "Would you, ah," He gulped. "Would you, maybe, come for a walk with me?"

Katie looked at him with apprehension. Then her defenses slid down a little. "Sure." She smiled. Travis let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in.

They walked along the paths of Olympus in partial silence. Ok, mostly silence. They made idle conversation, but stayed quiet most of the time. That is, until they reached the gardens.

There used to be a lot of nature deities on Olympus. Most domains had some connection to the natural world- not to mention the nymphs, who literally _were_ the natural world. Because of that, Olympus had little parks, fountains, ponds, patches of grass, and flower beds all over the place. But in one corner of the city there was a huge area just called 'The Gardens' that reminded Travis of Central Park back in New York.

When the came across that, Katie smiled and took off. She made a beeline for the grove of plants, Travis sprinting after her.

He chased her through the park. Eventually he tackled her to the ground before getting up and sprinting away. When he felt he had put enough distance between the clearing and himself, Travis climbed up a tree. Eventually Katie found him, and used her power over plants to make the tree spit him out.

This soon evolved into an odd mix of tag and hide-and-seek. Katie had the plants to help her, but Travis was the god of stealth and speed, so neither seemed to be able to gain the upper hand.

Eventually they met in a clearing. Both were breathing heavily, a not-so-normal event for a demigod when they weren't in battle. Then again, they were gods now.

Katie gasped for breath. "That was fun," she grinned.

"Yeah," Travis responded. "Hey, look."

He pointed to the brick wall that fenced in the grassy area they stood on. When you got close, you could see the clouds a few feet below.

They were looking out over the edge of Olympus. Travis found the empty space odd. He hadn't ever thought about where or how the majestic city that floated above the world ended. He had kind of assumed it never did. Travis' previous concept of Olympus was a lot like the way mortals assumed space was; a never-ending black void that was more barren and deserted the farther out you went. Only Travis had envisioned empty roads and shops with broken windows, like a ghost town. Clearly he had been wrong.

"I can't believe we're standing on the edge of Olympus," Katie said. "Hey, I think I see a plane."

Travis looked down. As it turns out, it was an aircraft. It looked about the same size as it would if you saw it down on earth, only you could see the top of the plane instead of the bottom. Travis found it rather disorienting. "It's cool, seeing everything the opposite way the mortals do. I wonder if I dropped a coin from up here if it would burn a hole in he sidewalk," he speculated.

Katie sent him a stern look. "Don't you dare! You could hurt someone!"

Travis waved her off. "Yeah, of course not." He'd probably do it with Connor later anyway. "Hey, are you hungry?" he questioned.

"Starving. I haven't eaten in days." The reply was instant. Then Katie frowned. Her forehead wrinkled up the way it always did when she was frustrated of confused.

"Hey, what do gods eat?"

Travis was confused at her question. He thought it was obvious- that is, until he realized that he didn't know the answer either. "Ambrosia and nectar?"

Katie shook her head. "They can't eat that all the time."

"Huh." Travis shrugged. "Well, let's stick with the basics for now." He flicked his hand. A picnic blanket appeared, along with some baked goods and a pizza topped with vegetables. Travis pointed at the picnic blanket, this time snapping his fingers. Two cups with Starbucks logos appeared in his hands.

He offered her a cup. "Carmel Mocha?" he asked. She took it with a gracious smile.

"How'd you know my order?" Katie asked suspiciously, sipping her coffee.

Travis shrugged. "It just kind of came to me." It wasn't a lie.

They sat down and ate. They spent their picnic in a comfortable silence. The two had always had this kind of relationship. They didn't need words to describe the way they felt all the time- although Katie had screamed about it quite a lot over the years.

Their connection wasn't anywhere near the extreme- and freaky- one Annabeth and Percy shared, but it worked for them. The special connection Katie and Travis had was more comfortable.

When she was done eating, Katie leaned across their miniature feast and looked Travis straight in the eye. "Travis?"

Travis gulped. He shifted uncomfortably. Truth be told, he had never been this close to a girl he wasn't related to. Well, he had always been related to Katie… okay, he had never been this close to a girl other than his half-siblings and mortal relatives. Truth be told, if they weren't trying to avoid being pranked or getting back at the brothers for one, girls were usually trying to run from them in some sort of battle. Connor and Travis weren't bad with weapons (although they ironically did some of their best work with weapons stolen from their opponents)

"Yes?" he asked nervously.

Katie shoved him in the shoulder. "You're it!"

Before she could run, Travis reached out and pushed her down. She hit the grass with a thump. "You're it."

He bolted for the trees. He had barely hit the tree line when his feet came out from under him. Within a matter of seconds he was hanging upside-down from a tree. A vine or branch or _something_ wrapped around his ankles, suspending him in the air.

Katie had her right hand extended from her body, her index finger pointed right at him. She stood less than two feet away. Travis crossed his arms over his chest, glaring playfully at Katie.

"Katie, will you please let me down?" He was sure his face was bright red from all the blood rushing to his face. Or would it have a golden tint, now that his veins contained ichor instead of the red liquid he was used to?

Katie giggled. "As you wish." She swished her hand away, pointing towards the sky. The vine uncurled, dropping him to the ground.

The daughter of Demeter laughed as Travis got to his feet. Then, as the two looked each other in the eyes, something clicked. They both moved forwards, in perfect synchronization, and kissed. A few seconds later Travis and Katie pulled away. The couple gazed at each other for a second. Then they did it again.

-LINE BREAK-

Later, as if they had all received some sort of message, everyone met in the courtyard behind the palaces in their secluded part of the city again that night. Well, almost everyone.

"Where are Leo and Reyna?" Katie asked as she walked into their little circle. Jason shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't seen Leo since he ran from the Throne Room this morning. Reyna ditched us halfway through our little meeting with the Romans. I haven't seen her since either."

"Oh yeah, how did that go?" Lacy asked. "Are they coming to Camp Half-Blood?"

"Oh, they're coming all right." Percy groaned. He leaned his head on Annabeth's shoulder. "It took a lot of work to convince the Romans that the Olympians were gone. It took even longer for us to explain that we were their replacements. Surprisingly there wasn't as much trouble with the relocating issue."

"So they took it well?" Mitchell reasoned.

"Not at all." Percy said. "They weren't that pleased with us uprooting their camp and merging them with the people they believed declared war on them. But once Annabeth explained the whole Leo getting possessed by the _eidolon_ thing and showed them a bunch of statistical math stuff about beginning number of soldiers verses ending number of soldiers in comparison to skill levels needed to destroy certain monsters and overall number of monsters in the Titan War, Camp Half-Blood came out on top. As a result, they had no reason _not_ to move." Jason looked disgruntled at this. Hazel and Frank didn't seem that bothered, but they hadn't fought in the second Titan War.

"So we teleported them to camp and handed them over to Chiron, who then got them to agree to disband their legions and let their counselors use the eagles," Percy continued.

"What about their city?" Rachel asked.

"We are making a new one here in New York. We'll buy the area surrounding Camp and build it. We didn't force them to do this; it was a centurion's idea," Annabeth said.

"As long as you stopped Octavian from taking over the legion," Pollux commented.

Hazel laughed bitterly. "Oh, we did. There was no arguing with us after we shot down his ideas to search for the Sibylline Books. He's answering to Chiron and your oracle now."

Annabeth went rigid. "Rachel," she asked slowly, "did you pass on the oracle's spirit before you became a goddess?"

Rachel nodded. "Sure did."

"To whom?" Piper asked.

"My sister."

Thalia looked at her incredulously. "I thought you were an only child?" she asked accusingly.

"I am. Or, I was," Rachel amended. "I pretty much ditched them to live at Camp year round right before Jason showed up. They realized I would never be the perfect child they wanted, so when I went back for a visit after the Giant War I discovered they had taken in my mom's brother's kids."

"So you passed on the spirit to one of them?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. The youngest, Tessa. She always disliked the whole 'socialite' thing both her new and old parents had going for her." Rachel laughed. "It's ridiculous, actually. My aunt and uncle's marriage was set up by their parents for business reasons. They both loved the benefits they got out of it, but they never loved each other. 'Their' oldest child is a daughter of Aphrodite- or Venus, I can't really tell- and the son is really Dionysus's. Tessa was the only child they had together. She had no business in the Greek/Roman world, just the occasional tiny flicker of seeing through the mist like every other mortal, and yet she found out first."

"How did that happen?" Hazel asked.

Rachel giggled. "No idea."

"How did the first two kids not know they were demigods? How did you know?" Clarisse asked.

Rachel shrugged. "Neither parent actually knew that their affairs had created the children."

"Wait, then how did they have the daughter of Venus?" Frank asked. "I mean… What?"

"There's all kinds of freaky magic happening in this world. Our own existence defies human nature," Rachel insisted.

"Although humans have rarely been correct." Jason said.

Rachel sighed. "True enough," she admitted. "Aphrodite probably zapped the embryo into my aunt's stomach or something. I know she was pregnant- or I remember her being pregnant, at least. I don't know- there was some kind of magic. The only reason I knew she was Aphrodite's daughter was because of the pink sparkles that surrounded her when I entered the beginning stages of 'freaky oracle mode'."

"What?" Travis and Connor asked simultaneously.

"When she glows green and lets off that smoky mist stuff that curls off her like snakes but doesn't say a prophecy," Will volunteered information.

"Oh," the brothers answered.

"So now your adopted sister is the new oracle?" Hazel asked.

"Already moved out of the house and into my cave," Rachel confirmed. "Took her less time than me- lucky girl."

"Ok," she nodded. Hazel seemed a little flustered. It took Travis a minute to remember that Hazel was a thirteen-year-old girl from the 1940's.

"And did the transition work?" Annabeth questioned.

"It went just fine. I can feel it," Will affirmed.

"Now that we've finished updating everyone on the latest epidemics of the mortal-slash-demigod world," Rachel said, "let's eat!" She snapped her fingers and was holding a platter of ambrosia and cups of nectar on a platter. Everyone sent her skeptical looks.

"What? All of you have tried it before at least once! Even as the oracle I was still mostly mortal! The only time I was allowed to have it was when I was almost dead during the giant war. I want to see how it tastes when I'm not unconscious!" She insisted. The others relented. Soon everyone was drinking godly foods that they could enjoy without burning up for the first time ever. They were laughing and dancing and singing, and for the first time in a while they just enjoyed each other's company.

Well, all of them but two.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm officially done with chapter eight! Before you read this, you should go back and read the end of chapter two. I fixed it to fit with this chapter better. I hope you enjoy! R&R!**

I don't own PJO or HOO.

"You feeling okay?" Reyna asked as she entered the palace's basement. The room had been transformed into a top-notch forge, though she doubted that was something its new owner had done.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Leo responded. Reyna couldn't see his expression because his back was to her, but she could tell that Leo was not fine. His muscles were tense. He was biting his right cheek- the only part of his face that Reyna could see- so hard he had probably broken the skin. He was gripping the handle of his tool a lot harder than he needed to, and was slamming the hammer down against the metal he was heating in the fire with much more force than necessary. The flames around his hands were leaping higher and higher. Not to mention both of his hands were smoking.

"Leo, I assure you, I know you aren't fine." She looked around the room. Locating a stool, Reyna grabbed it and dragged it over. She plopped down.

"You don't have to tell me what it is, but know that I'm here if you want to talk."

"I'll keep that in mind." Leo brought down the hammer once more. He glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you still here?" he asked. Reyna ignored the bluntness of the question.

She looked him in the eye. Her heart began to beat a little faster. Reyna had never noticed how attractive Leo was before. Something about his brown eyes made her melt into them like chocolate left in the hot sun.

Reyna realized she was staring and cleared her throat. "You need some company," she stated. "You're upset. No one should be alone when they're sad."

Leo laughed, but it wasn't in the cheerful way he usually did. "You don't seem like the no-nonsense, void-of-emotions praetor we met in New Rome."

"Well maybe I'm not that girl anymore." She had meant it jokingly, but the words came out dead-serious. Because as she said them, Reyna found that it was true. She wasn't the no-nonsense leader she had been a few weeks ago. She had been Greek-ifyed.

When Percy had been, uh, _Romanized_, all he had done was learn how to hide his emotions from enemies and their fighting style. He had also picked up on their way of life, but he had never joined them in it.

When Jason had been sent to the Greeks, he had come back completely immersed in their lifestyle- whether he noticed it or not was another issue. When Jason had explained to her the way the Greeks did things, she had thought it was odd. They had no positions of power, just a council based on their godly parents made to discuss important issues and spread word equally. Quests weren't handed out by rank. Instead they were handed out by an impartial judge, given to the people destined for them. No one person could interpret the fate of the camp the way they wanted it to be by gutting stuffed animals and reading half-translatable scraps of paper. The oracle told the future in her cryptic ways to those best suited to know.

Now Reyna could make sense of it all. They might not have had a city, but they were the ones with a community. They helped each other succeed instead of forcing people into cookie-cutter soldiers that had the same strengths and weaknesses. It was a democracy, not a partial dictatorship. With the Greeks, people were free to be their true selves. And it stuck in a way impossible to hide. It was so easy to coax out that Reyna had already undergone the process by just being around a few of them these past few weeks. Yet somehow she was already preaching these ideas- and to someone who had passed them on to her, no less.

Leo sighed. "Since you aren't going to leave and I'm not willing to tell, I guess we're at a crossroads."

They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Then Reyna spoke again, "Sometimes it can be good to get things off your chest by telling someone or writing them down. You don't have to tell _me_, if you don't want to, just… remember I'm here." She couldn't believe she was doing this. Reyna didn't think she had ever been so sentimental in her life.

Leo sighed again. Somehow he didn't notice her pushing and prodding to see his secrets. He didn't look up from his work.

"Today is my mother's birthday," Leo said, bringing the hammer down one more time. He dropped it. "It's also the anniversary of her death."

Reyna grabbed his arm and slowly pulled him onto his seat. "It's okay to miss her," Reyna whispered.

He put his head in his hands, his elbow propped up on the worktable. "You don't understand," he murmured. "I killed her."

"I was a seven year old searching for a part for a project in the back room. A woman made of earth appeared and said stuff about how she couldn't let me defeat her and so she had to kill me. I got so scared, so I created a fireball. I threw it at her, but it didn't work. Instead of just spreading through her like all of my other weak little fires did, it spread. Gaea moved the fire through the entire shop. I got out, but my mother…" Leo shook his head.

"Everyone here says it wasn't my fault. That Gaea killed her. But she couldn't have done it if I hadn't started the fire. I'm the one that killed her. I'm responsible, not Gaea. Even if I believed what everyone says… oh who am I kidding, there's no way I could ever believe them. My family made sure or that." His voice got quieter at the end of his rant.

Reyna cocked her head to the side. "What about your family?" she coaxed.

"They hated me for it. They all blamed me for her death. My Aunt Rosa was the worst. She turned anyone who didn't think I was a murderous psychopathic killer against me. The most ridiculous part, in my mind at least, was that me killing my mother was horrendous- which I get, because it was-, but that them all getting together to try and kill me was perfectly fine. No one ever found out so no one got arrested. They did put me in foster care, but my family certainly wasn't the only abusive home I was put in.

"I spent more time on the streets getting attacked by monsters than I spent in foster homes and state orphanages. Sometimes I was adopted by monsters or servants of Gaea trying to capture me or get a free meal. Since I swore never to use my fire powers again- which didn't actually work out- or have a weapon, there was no way to fight them off. So I ran. I used things I found in the street to defend myself. Everyone treated me like someone undeserving of living, which I believed was because I killed her. Childhood shapes a person. You just can't shake things you've been told your whole life."

Reyna didn't speak. What could she say after hearing something like that? This was probably the first time Leo had opened up to anyone to that extent.

So when she did speak, Reyna said the first thing that came to mind; "You could… go talk to your family. Explain that it wasn't your fault." _Stupid!_ Reyna mentally scolded herself. That definitely wasn't the right thing to say.

Luckily for her, Leo saw through her terrible attempt at responding to his life story and didn't take it too badly. "That'll never happen. The last time I tried that, when I was twelve, everyone tried to kill me again. They hate me, I hate them. Never want to see them again."

Reyna nodded. "So… what are you working on?" she changed the subject. The first topic had run its course- right into a pit of poisonous snakes.

Leo perked up. He also blushed for some reason. He picked up the metal rod.

Reyna gasped. The long stick resembled a spear shaft, only there was no blade on the end and it looked sturdier than a spear's handle. The metal wasn't metal after all. It was a long piece of reddish wood with chunks of imperial gold, celestial bronze, a little stygian iron and even something resembling mortal steel infused into it.

Leo held it up in the light. "It's a staff I made for you," he said. "for your symbol of power. I know Hestia's completely faded. I know you used to have a spear, but it broke in the war. I could have made you a new one, but you're the goddess of peace, so a spear might not be the best symbol…" Leo trailed off as he realized he was rambling. "It's made of wood from a redwood tree. The godly metals make it fire-resistant and allow you to channel your power through it, making it easier to use them in a fight while not drawing as much from your energy reserve. I know you wouldn't want a big stick of wood and metal to be your main object of defense, so it works like a spear too. Well, sort of."

He flipped the staff so that it was pointing straight up and down. "If you will it to, sharp blades will grow on either end." He indicated to the top and bottom of the weapon. "It can then work life a spear. It's also good for chopping off enemies' limbs. They'll retract or fall off if you want them to. You can also slingshot them to hit long-distance targets…" he stepped away from Reyna and swung the staff. A silver fragment of metal flew across the room and embedded itself in the wall. "There's not an unlimited supply of them, but there is a huge amount. Even so, bring it back to me if you need a new supply. If you're ever in desperate need of reloading and I'm not around or I'm otherwise occupied, just take an old one and put it in. It should work for another shot as long as neither object is badly damaged," he finished explaining the weapon. Leo turned it sideways again and held out the staff, offering it to Reyna. She took it.

"Put a little power into it," he instructed. Reyna forced a blast of warmth out of her heart, through her body, and into the staff.

As if on instinct, Reyna swung the staff around, releasing a blast of fire. Luckily Leo was fire-proof and always had been, so he didn't: a, get burned to a crisp, and b, run away trying to escape the flames despite being the god of fire.

Leo nodded in approval. "Good, good," he said. He smiled. "This is awesome! I actually made a god's symbol of power!" he exclaimed.

Then he gasped. "Reyna, look."

Reyna glanced at her staff. She did a double take. The item was glowing a light shade of red. It wasn't an angry red. While the light was glowing very brightly, the color itself was soft. The magic radiated something interesting that reminded Reyna of… a peaceful retreat and home? That was an odd thing to protrude from a possibly deathly weapon.

But then again, Hestia was always a last line of defense. She didn't fight all the time. She represented Home. Maybe this was how she did it. Hestia would make the enemies feel homesick and made them question their motives. Then she pulled out some awesome ninja-moves and destroyed the invaders.

The Greeks definitely changed her. A few months ago she never would have even thought that.

"Wow, this is awesome." Reyna swung the stick again. This time it didn't spit out fire.

"I'm glad you like it." Leo smiled a little. He glanced at his watch. "Well, it's getting late. You should get going."

"Hey Leo?" Reyna asked as the mechanic walked back to his work table.

He turned around. "Yes?" 

"Thanks."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! Sorry about not updating in so long. Some things came up that I had to deal with. Just so you know, it will probably take me that long to update from now on. School means a lot less time to write, meaning less updates. If someone could get rid of school, then I could write more often (hint, hint).**

**This chapter is short- I had more things planned for it, but I wanted to get it up as soon as possible, so I ended it here. The next chapter should be longer… and less weird. Sorry about that…**

**Anyways, enjoy! R&R!**

I don't own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. And frankly, I'm pretty sure that Rick Riordan has better things to do than write fanfiction for his own series, so I'm not sure why these are necessary.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Hazel rushed to the door of her apartment. The little cottage sat on the corner of the garden all the palaces surrounded. It was a lot smaller than the other buildings, but it suited Hazel just as well. She flung open the door.

"Frank!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, lifting her up in the air on accident.

"Oops. Sorry," Frank apologized. "Even after I learned of, used, and lost my shape-shifting ability I still don't feel right in my own body."

Hazel smiled. "It's fine, Frank." She paused. "Wait, did you say you lost your shape-shifting?"

He shrugged. "Kind of. I can still change into a snake, a boar, and a few other animals, but so far I've only been able to become ones sacred to Mars. The rest aren't under any of my domains, so I have no claim over them. The shape shifting was a blessing from Poseidon years ago, not a child of Mars thing. I haven't really tried, though. The others came so easily, I didn't see the need."

Hazel looked at him, confused. "Okay…" she hesitated, "but you used to be able to transform into more animals than just marine ones. Are you sure you can't still change into more?"

Her boyfriend thought about it for a minute. "I guess," he said, shrugging. "I'll test it out later. Right now I have some things planned for us."

Frank pulled Hazel out into the courtyard, barely giving her time to close the door to her house.

They teleported to a city. As Hazel blinked away the white light, she saw they were outside a small Italian restaurant.

Lunch was somewhat uneventful. The most interesting thing that happened was Frank successfully introducing Hazel to the many, many variations of pizza this century had. Compared to the time Leo tried to explain what a chicken nugget was this experience went quite well. For starters, giant eagles weren't pursuing them as they sailed off to their possible demise in a flying warship.

When the couple finished eating, they walked a few blocks to a park. Hazel marveled at the pretty colors of the plants lining the pond banks and the intricate patterns on the turtles' shells and the ducks' feathers as Frank guided her through the maze of gardens and playgrounds.

At one point Frank turned into a butterfly. He flapped his wings a few times before landing on her nose, making Hazel go cross-eyed.

"I guess you do still have all your shape shifting powers." Hazel said smugly. Frank twitched.

She sat down on a bench that overlooked yet another pond. She wasn't tired, per say, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Frank the Butterfly flew over to the bench. He transformed back, somehow ending up in a sitting position. "How do you like Central Park?" he asked.

"It's amazing," Hazel said. "I never knew mortals could actually keep a place so filled with nature."

"Yeah, well, not all of them kill everything- just most of them," Frank joked. Hazel laughed.

"Of course, the nymphs probably help out," Frank added, gesturing to the group of girls playing among their trees.

"Central Park… is that in New York?" Hazel asked. Frank nodded.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I know you haven't spent much time in the mortal world, so I planned our date down here. That way you'll know about what we…" Frank paused, then smiled. "rule, I guess. How'd I do?"

Hazel squeezed his hand, grinning. "You did great." She glanced down at a little duckling that was trailing behind its siblings. "You were right about me not seeing much of the mortal world. Even in New Orleans all those years ago, I didn't go out all that much. As far as I knew, all mortals from this century did was raze nature and use confusing techno gadgets."

"If that were the case, then you would have faded as soon as Persephone handed over her powers," commented Frank. His girlfriend nodded slowly.

"Well, Persephone's domains expanded around the time she became an Olympian so she's the goddess of seasons, not just spring, and I don't think the seasons can all disappear, but I see what you mean," she gave in.

"Yeah," Frank agreed. A comfortable silence fell between the two.

"I like New York," Hazel remarked after about five minutes. While she spoke, her eyes remained glued to the plants around her. Hazel's eyes kept wandering back to one particular plant- a small bush right next to the water. If you looked closely, you could see that she was more likely looking at a duckling under the leaves. "This city is ten times better than New Orleans. It's a hundred times better Alaska."

"Speaking of which," Frank began, "I have one more thing planned for tonight." He offered his hand to Hazel. She accepted it, closing her eyes as she was engulfed in light.

When it faded, she opened her eyes again. She gasped. Hazel wasn't prepared for what was in front of her. She spun around to face a sheepish Frank.

"I thought maybe coming back here would be good for you. You know, maybe seeing it again would help you let go? I know you still have nightmares."

He was right. Hazel still had nightmares. There was no way they could go back to Alaska whether they wanted to or not (and trust me, they didn't), so this was the next best thing.

He was only trying to help. It was only because he cared. Hazel gripped the sleeves of her jacket. With a deep breath and a look at Frank, Hazel unclenched her fists. Hesitantly she reached out and touched the wall of the old abandon building.

An old sign was painted on a door to the left of the main set of doors, the one that Hazel knew led up a flight of stairs and into a small multipurpose room-turned fortune-teller office. She traced the faded painted letters. She was amazed that no one had taken down the rickety old door that had been old even seventy-five years ago, or at least given it a fresh coat of paint.

'_Queen Marie's Fortunes'_ Hazel traced the words a few times. She looked up to see the curtains drawn tightly shut, just as they had been the day she left. How this building just sat completely undisturbed for over two thirds of a decade, Hazel would never know.

As if on instinct, she turned away from the building and began walking down the street. She strolled right past Frank not sparing him a glance. When Hazel reached the end of the block, she turned the corner. She walked down two streets and turned right. Not once did she check to see if Frank was following her.

She walked down, this time turning left about halfway down the whole block into a small alleyway. When she emerged, she walked out and turned again, this time stopping in front of a house. She stared directly at it.

"Uh, Hazel? Hazel?" Frank asked. Hazel stared at the house.

"Mama? Why are we here?" Hazel's head snapped towards the small boy that had spoken. The Latino six-year-old black curly hair and brown eyes. He looked very similar to Leo.

'_Or Sammy'_ Hazel couldn't help thinking.

"We are here because your _bisabuelo_ used to live here, and papa wants to see where his family lived before moving to Houston." She responded. Hazel watched as the family admired the property that had changed very little since the 1940's. It still had the hole from when Hazel had accidentally lost control of a gem and sent it hurtling into the stone pathway, and the chest sticking out of the ground from when she, Sammy, and his siblings had tried to bury a time capsule and Sammy's brother buried part of it in quick dry cement (she still didn't know how that was even possible).

"Hazel?" That would be Frank. "What is going on?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just… never mind. Let's go back to Central Park." Frank sent her a doubtful look, but took her hand nonetheless. They spent the rest of the day exploring the forest within the concrete jungle, only leaving after they watched the sun chariot begin its next cycle. Somehow knowing exactly how it worked didn't make it any less beautiful.


End file.
